Convertible plow.



PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

s? V. WEEKS. CONVERTIBLE PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED APRES. 1905.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL V. WEEKS, OF HIGHLAND PARK, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO THE VOLUNTEERDISK PLOW COMPANY.

CONVERTIBLE PLOW.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Original application filed June 26,1903, Serial No. 153,265. Divided andthis application led April 26, 1905. Serial No. 257.497.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL V. WEEKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hi hland Park, in the county of Hamilton an State ofTennessee, have invented a new and useful Convertible Plow, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a convertible plow of that general typedisclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 163,265, filed une 26,1903, of which the present application is a division.

The primary object is to provide in a plow of this character a framecomprising separate interchangeable furrow opener supporting beamsdetachably secured together and equipped with supporting-wheels adaptedto sup ort one of t e beams or the frame inclu ing a lurality of suchbeams in order that the p ow may be readily converted for use as a smgleplow or as a gang-plow includmg two or more units.

A further object is to dispense with the spacing-blocks, devices, andbrackets usually employed by providing the interchangealilcfurrow-opener-supportmg elements or beams with overla ping portionsdetachably secured direct y together, so as to permit the conversion ofa gang-plow into a single plow by detaching the superfluous beam orbeams.

A further obj eet of the invention is to facilitate the turnin of sharpor` square corners by automatical y effecting the proper relativeadjustment of the several supportingwheels when the line of draft ischanged, this end being attained in the present construction byestablishin an operative connection between the shiftab e wheel-supportsand the draft appliance.

One embodiment of the invention by means of which the several objectsare attained is illustrated in the accompanyin drawing and will behereinafter descr1be and claimed.

In the drawing is disclosed a plan view of a plow constructed in accordance with my invention.

What may bc termed a "front wheelframc o', having attached thereto atongue and sup orted by a front furrow-wheel c, is

rovide 7ith anu'pstandingjournalorpostd.

his post is received within a cylindrical socket e, formed at the frontend of a furrow- Opener-supporting beam f of angular form.

character of )low element or furrow-openery may be substitutedlfor thedisk and supported in any desired manner from the rear end of the beam.At the angle of the beam f is located a vertical post i, similar to theYost d ofthe front wheel-frame a. This post is received within acylindrical socket e of a second furrow-opener-sup orting beam ordiskcarrying element f, wliich is a duplicate of and interchangeablewith the beam At its rear end the bcamf carries a furrow-opener g, andat its angle rises a post h', identical in mmstruction and location withthc post h of the beam f. The two beams and disks connected as specifiedconstitute a gang; but it will of course be understood that this seriesof beams and furrow-openers may be extended indefinitely, it beingmerely necessary to provide any additional number of units constructedrecisely like those described and connectetlhn a similar manner. To thclast beam of the series or gang, in the present instance the beam j" isapplied the rear wheelfranie i, sup orted at its front and rear ends bythe lan -wheel k and the rear furrowwheel j. At the front end of therear wheelframe i is formed a socket m, which receives the post h of thebeamf. The several )osts d, h, and h are each cut away at one si e, asindicated at to accommodate a lug y, projecting inwardly from the socketwithin which the post is received. By reason of this arrangement thefront wheel-frame is ermitted to have limited pivotal movementindependently of the beam f with the post d as an axis, each beamsimilarly having slight relative movement independently of the beam inrear thereof and the rearmost beam being similarly movable withreference to the rear wheel-frame i.

The crank-axle n of the land-wheel is swiveled in the rear wheel-framei, as shown, and is connected, as by a chain 0, to the adjacent end ofthe front wheel-frame ai. The rear wheel-frame is connected at the innerside of its axis to the front wheel-frame by a chain which may be givendirection by a suitabiiz guide p', adapted to be detacha 1y connected toany one of the several beams, but shown connected to the beam f. It willIOO be noted that in making a turn to the left the front wheel-framewill turn slightly before being arrested by the engagement of the stop iwith the rear shoulder on the post d. The fiont wheel-frame and the beamf will then swing in unison with the post t as an axis, the beam j"being then similarly swung relative to the rear wheel-frame, and all ofthese elements of the plow-frame assuming their normal relation, asshown in the drawing, as soon as the turn is completed. In making a turnto the right, however, there is no relative movement of the elements ofthe plow-frame, since the lugs y are normally in engagement with thefront walls of the cutaway portions :1; of the several posts. Thevertical adjustment of the frame comprising the beam elements relativeto the front and rear wheel-frames is effected by means of levers r ands. The lever r is fulcrumed on a toothed segment r', adapted to bebolted, clamped, or otherwise secured to whichever of the beams occupiesthe most advanced position. In the present instance this segment isshown attached to the beamf.

At its front end the lever r has loose pivotal connection with a bracketr2, secured to the post d. Obviously by swinging the lever r the beam fmay be raised or lowered relative to the front wheel-frame, the leverbeing secured in its adjusted position by means of a latch r3, carriedby the lever and engaging the segment. The lever s is fulcrumed upon atoothed segment s', secured to the rear wheel-frame adJacent to itsfront end, the front extremity of the lever having loose pivotalconnection with whichever beam occupies the rearmost position#forinstance, the beam The lever s is equipped with a latch s2, w ich en aes the segment s. By the manipulation o tiis lever the rear end of thebeam may be raised and lowered relative to the rear wheel-frame. Thespring g' of the drivers seat q is bolted or otherwise secured to therear end of the rearmost beam, as shown in the drawing, when the plow isorganized as a gang, and is similarly at- .tached to the singlefurrow-opener-supporting beam when the device is converted into sin leplow. V

t will be observed from the foregoin f that I have produced a plowincluding a rame comprising separate interchangeable overlap in furrow-oener-supporting beams detac ab y secure directly to ether and carried bysupporting-wheels, al of which are capable of attachment to one of suchbeams alone or to the frame including a plurality of such beams topermit conversion from a vang to a single plow or vice versa. It is tobe understood, however, that while the present embodiment of theinvention is thought at this time to be preferable I reserve the rightto effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustratedstructure as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. In a convertible plow, separate interchangeablefurrow-opener-supporting beams having overlapping portions flexibly anddetachably connected to permit conversion from a single plow into agang-plow and vice versa and to enable the beams to move laterallyrelative to each other when the device is organized as a gang-plow, andmeans for limiting such relative movement of the beams.

2. In a convertible plow, a frame comprising separate interchangeablefurrow-openersupporting beams detachably and flexibly connected, stopsfor limiting relative lateral movement of the beams, andsupportingwheels, all of which are capable of attachment both to one ofthe beams alone or to a frame including a plurality of such beams.

3. In a convertible plow, front and rear wheel-frames, a frontfurrow-wheel supporting the front wheel-frame and a rear furrowwheel anda land-wheel supporting the opposite ends of the rear wheel-frame, andseparate interchangeable furrow-opencr-supporting beams connecting thewheel-frames and also directly connected to each other.

4. In a convertible plow, a front wheelframe disposed directly acrossthe line of draft, a rear wheel-frame disposed obliquely across the lineof draft, a su porting-wheel for the front wheel-frame, a p urality ofsupporting-wheels for the rear wheel-frame, and a plurality of separateinterchangeable furrow-opener-supporting beams detachably securedtogether and connecting the front and rear wheel-frames, each of saidbeams being adapted for attachment to a plurality of similar beams or toeither the front or rear wheel-frame or both, whereby the low may beconverted from a gang to a sing e plow or vice versa.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL V. WEEKS.

Witnesses:

Jol-1N H. SrsGEns, BLANCHE J. KALDENDACK.

IOO

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